By Jane Collingwood
A new treatment for fibroids may affect a woman’s future fertility, researchers have warned.
Fibroids in the womb are benign tumours which often cause bleeding, pelvic pressure and pain, and reproductive problems. They affect 20 to 40 per cent of women of reproductive age, and may lead to a hysterectomy.
The treatment under investigation is called uterine artery embolisation, or UAE. It is a non-surgical procedure that blocks both uterine arteries using particles injected into the femoral and uterine arteries, causing the fibroids to shrink.
A team led by Mr Ertan Saridogan of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson Hospital, London, UK, looked at patients’ later pregnancy outcomes.
After reviewing figures from trials of UAE compared with surgery, they found an increased risk of miscarriage, preterm birth, caesarean, abnormal foetal position at birth and haemorrhage following labour.
There was also a significantly higher rate of miscarriage among women who underwent UAE compared with women with untreated fibroids.
The available figures are limited, write the authors in The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, but they urge caution in recommending UAE to women who hope to become pregnant.
Mr Saridogan commented: "Although a large number of women have already undergone this procedure, there is relatively limited information on its impact on a woman’s future reproductive function. Our review on the outcome of pregnancies arising following UAE showed that they could be at increased risk for complications, especially miscarriage."
Journal editor, Jason Waugh, added: "Further research is needed in order to provide women with comprehensive information about the risks and benefits of available treatment options."
Homer, H. and Saridogan, E. Pregnancy outcomes after uterine artery embolisation for fibroids. The Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Vol. 11, Issue 4, October 2009, pp. 265-70.
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